DORTMUND, Germany, 12 August 2003 — Underdog Viktor Bologan of Moldavia clinched first place in the Dortmund Sparkassen chess tournament on Sunday, holding world No. 2-ranked Vladimir Kramnik of Russia to a draw in the tenth and final round.
The other two games in the round were short draws between Viswanathan Anand of India and Azerbaijani teenager Teimour Radjabov and between Hungarian Peter Leko and Germany’s Arkadij Naiditsch.
Bologan, ranked 42nd in world, was listed as a long-shot before the tournament, where he had to face not only Kramnik, but also No. 3-ranked Anand, and No. 4 Leko.
Kramnik needed a win to tie for first and pressed from the beginning on the white side of a Nimzo-Indian Defense.
Kramnik gained the advantage of the bishop pair and it was clear early on that Bologan would have to suffer to hold the game. Kramnik stood clearly better in the type of position in which he excels and slowly increased his grip on the position. His knight on b5 tied down Bologan’s pieces and could not be expelled without seriously weakening Bologan’s queenside.
In addition, Bologan’s king knight was subject to what he called “a very unpleasant” pin. When Kramnik avoided a rook exchange on move 22, Bologan called his position at this point “not very comfortable. White is much better.”
But here Kramnik began to go astray. He handed Bologan a tempo by retreating his bishop first to g3 and then to f2.
As both players drifted into time trouble, the tide began to turn. On the sidelines, Anand would not speculate on possible improvements for Kramnik, saying, “If it’s anything, it’s something subtle, not glaringly obvious.” By move 32, Bologan regarded the position as “completely equal or maybe slightly better for me.”
When the queens came off on move 32, Bologan offered a draw, which Kramnik declined. On move 38, standing somewhat worse with no winning chances, it’s was Kramnik’s turn for a peace offer, which was accepted. Radjabov and Anand took only 45 minutes to play 13 moves and agree to a truce. With Black in the Bogo-Indian Defense, Anand’s eighth move was a novelty.
